Veronica
Someone of vital importance has disappeared - you should follow their trail before it goes cold. Cast * Veronica McShell * Vince * Rachel * Danny * Sam Yao Plot Like Father, Like Daughter You’ve found Veronica McShell! But she’s not pleased to see you. Her research partner has gone missing and she needs your help to find him. The Path Forks Veronica guides you through a patch of calming plants, the same as you saw around Darren’s home. Veronica spots Vince’s radio as the path forks. Something Wrong? Veronica says that all treetop residents disappeared one night after a mysterious woman arrived; only she and Vince remain. After Her! Sam spots someone in the vicinity; the girl, Rachel, plays dumb until Veronica reveals that she can see Vince’s blood on Rachel’s shoes. Path Leads This Way The group follows Rachel to Vince’s scattered remains. Sam’s comparisons between Veronica and her father anger her before she pursues Rachel. Before He Escapes Rachel begs you to turn back as you discover her zombie boyfriend, Danny. Sam recognises Rachel from the cult you met previously. Eternal Life You approach Danny. He’s chained to a tree. Rachel vows to protect him and undoes the chain so that he can bite her. That way they can be together forever. What They Wanted Veronica reveals that she wasn’t camping with the Guides when the apocalypse happened. She was doing research at the Natural History Museum. Transcript VERONICA MCSHELL: Follow me this way. Now you’re here, you’re going to help me. I’d ask nicely, but I don’t care much if you want to. SAM YAO: You’re Veronica McShell? You’re THE Veronica McShell? VERONICA MCSHELL: Yes, that’s me. SAM YAO: Of course, of course! I should have known we’d find you somewhere like this, doing all kinds of science and whatsits. Oh, sorry. Um, sorry. I’m so sorry about your father. NADIA AL HANAKI: What are you on about, Sam? SAM YAO: Chris McShell, our old Runner Ten, the zombie-killing hero of Abel. This is his daughter. Only, uh, he made you sound like a little girl. And you’re what, fourteen? Fifteen? Veronica, we’ve been trying to get a message to you. Before he went, I mean, it was his last request. Did the Girl Guides find you? VERONICA MCSHELL: Yes. I know you got him killed. SAM YAO: We – no, that’s not - VERONICA MCSHELL: We don’t have time for this now. I need your help. Vince, the only other researcher, went out this morning to set up some more cameras along the perimeter. We’re investigating how they react to first contact with the calming plants. NADIA AL HANAKI: Calming plants? VERONICA MCSHELL: Vince hasn’t radioed in for an hour, and he’s not answering my calls. SAM YAO: So, you’re charging in for a rescue! Like father, like daughter. Veronica, we didn’t actually get your dad killed, you know. He was like you. He wanted to do science. VERONICA MCSHELL: I don’t want to talk about it. Comansys were propagating the plants here. They’re important, and so is Vince. My research needs two people. He could be hurt, unconscious. We have to find him before any zoms do. Come on, run! NADIA AL HANAKI: Look, it’s those creepers again, Five. They’re thicker than ever here on the forest floor. VERONICA MCSHELL: Be careful not to touch anything. We’ve cut a path through the calming plants, but we’ll have to go single file. Hurry. The last time Vince radioed, he was heading down this path. He must be near here somewhere. SAM YAO: You keep talking about calming plants. Do you mean those little blue flowers? NADIA AL HANAKI: Blue flowers! Remember, Five, in the hedge around Darren’s place, there were loads of flowers scattered around. Blue ones! That must have been what the Exmoor''' Militia were using to keep that place zom-free. They’d been cut, though. Not growing, like this. VERONICA MCSHELL: They only germinate here. It’s because of the trees in this forest. Most of them are a rare species. The plants seem only to root well in their leaf mold. SAM YAO: Amazing! NADIA AL HANAKI: And the plants repel the zoms? VERONICA MCSHELL: They calm them. See that bunch up ahead? They’ve been standing there for weeks. We think they might be forming a rudimentary family group. SAM YAO: Wow! Finally, a real lead on what Comansys have been up to. Veronica, you’re amazing! Hey, how many zombies have you killed? VERONICA MCSHELL: That’s a stupid question. As if it’s some kind of game! SAM YAO: I’m sorry, I just – I’m sorry. NADIA AL HANAKI: Look. A radio, smashed. VERONICA MCSHELL: It’s Vince’s radio. The path forks ahead. I don’t know which one to take. NADIA AL HANAKI: Then we’ll run down both, quick as we can. Come on, left-hand fork first. NADIA AL HANAKI: This path’s half overgrown. I can’t see any more of those calming plants. Is it time to turn back and try the other path, find Vince? VERONICA MCSHELL: Just a little further. I’m starting to get a feeling that something’s not right. NADIA AL HANAKI: Fine. But we need to be careful. SAM YAO: Hey, Veronica, how did you survive? Did your scout troop militarize like the Guides? VERONICA MCSHELL: So that’s where he thought I was. SAM YAO: Huh? VERONICA MCSHELL: Look! There’s a new camera, over there, between those trees. Vince did come this way. Come on. NADIA AL HANAKI: Shouldn’t there be more people living here? It looked like it was set up for at least a dozen. VERONICA MCSHELL: We had twenty. Hobby researchers, mostly. Some grad students. They were nice. Into all sorts of things – medieval reconstruction, extreme sports. They were a fun group. Vince said he worked shifts at an educational toy store before. NADIA AL HANAKI: Where have they all gone? VERONICA MCSHELL: A new woman showed up a few weeks ago. She was keen on studying the plants and had some new ideas. Seemed like a good fit. She invited everyone to her quarters one night for a drumming circle. The next morning, everyone was gone, except for me and Vince. NADIA AL HANAKI: You didn’t go? VERONICA MCSHELL: That lynx you murdered was more active at nights. Vince and I were watching it feed. The plants didn’t affect it, which was interesting. NADIA AL HANAKI: Right, yeah. Sorry about that, again. VERONICA MCSHELL: Shh! Someone’s moving away from us, over there, between those trees. Don’t look, they’ll see the - SAM YAO: whispers Veronica, something wrong? VERONICA MCSHELL: I think I smell blood. We have to catch them, whoever they are. Run! NADIA AL HANAKI: Dammit, they’re too fast! I’ve lost sight of them! VERONICA MCSHELL: It doesn’t matter, we can still track them. Someone’s trampled in the plants here recently, heading in that direction. Sam, are you getting anything on any of the base cams to the northwest? You’re plugged in, aren’t you? SAM YAO: Yep, but nothing at the moment. Ah, no, wait. There she is. You’re really close. Just head through that copse at your three o'clock. VERONICA MCSHELL: I can see her. Excuse me? Excuse me, wait! RACHEL: Oh! Hello, didn’t see you there. VERONICA MCSHELL: Who are you? RACHEL: Me? Nobody. I’ve got a friend. Yeah, a friend told me about this place, so here I am. Thought you were zoms! You know how it is these days, one funny noise, and who knows what’s coming for you? VERONICA MCSHELL: I don’t hear any noises. RACHEL: You must have just missed it. Hey, are you looking for a man carrying electrical bits and bobs? He just headed by here. He was going to the tree house. Hurry, and you might just catch him! VERONICA MCSHELL: What’s your name? RACHEL: Rachel. VERONICA MCSHELL: Rachel, do you know how I know you’re lying? RACHEL: Um - VERONICA MCSHELL: If you were clever, Rachel, you would have wiped my friend’s blood off your shoes instead of running. I think I’d like to see where you were going. RACHEL: I, uh – footsteps NADIA AL HANAKI: She’s getting away! Quick, after her! NADIA AL HANAKI: Oh… oh God! Veronica, don’t look. SAM YAO: What is it? NADIA AL HANAKI: It’s – it looks like - VERONICA MCSHELL: It’s Vince. What’s left of him. I recognize the ring on that hand, and the Celtic knot tattoo on the half-eaten foot. RACHEL: Stop! Don’t come any further! VERONICA MCSHELL: Why? What else are you hiding? How many other murdered people? RACHEL: None, I swear! No, stop, you can’t go this way. VERONICA MCSHELL: We are, though. RACHEL: What if I don’t let you? VERONICA MCSHELL: What will you do, bash my head in? Maybe it wasn’t so bad sneaking up on Vince while he was working, dragging him off. But there are three of us. You can try killing all three of us, but you don’t have a weapon, and we don’t have one you can steal. I’d say the probability of success is pretty low. RACHEL: You won’t understand. Please don’t, it’s not his fault. Please, wait! SAM YAO: Man, I thought your dad was a total legend, but that was something else. I can’t tell through the headcams – did you even blink when - VERONICA MCSHELL: Shut up. SAM YAO: Oh! Hey! VERONICA MCSHELL: Stop talking about my dad. You don’t get to tell me about him. You don’t get to tell me he would have been proud. He was my father, mine! You’re just the people that got him killed. You think sending me a message fixes that? That we’re friends now because you were nice enough to tell me for sure he’s never coming back? SAM YAO: Come on - RACHEL: No, please don’t! Don’t! I love him! VERONICA MCSHELL: Path leads this way. I’m going to see what’s out here. Come if you want to, Five. I suppose Rachel might try and kill me if you don’t come. SAM YAO: Veronica… VERONICA MCSHELL: Don’t. RACHEL: Turn around. Please, turn around. You can still go back. We’ll leave. I promise we’ll leave you alone. No one has to know. VERONICA MCSHELL: What about Vince? I think Vince had to know. RACHEL: He’s all I have. You don’t understand! He still knows me. He’d never hurt me, he loves me! VERONICA MCSHELL: Who was he? RACHEL: His name was Danny. We used to live with others like us, people who’d had their eyes opened, who knew the zombies were their friends, how to make peace with them! SAM YAO: Oh God, I thought I recognized her! She was in that zombie cult. RACHEL: Something went wrong. Strangers came, they didn’t understand! They made the zoms so angry with us. Danny and I got out together. He must have been bitten already. I didn’t know! We were hiding in an old garage. I went to sleep, and when I woke up, he was so cold. But he was still Danny! He’d never hurt anyone, he wouldn’t! He’s just so hungry sometimes. VERONICA MCSHELL: How many people have you killed for him? RACHEL: You don’t understand! VERONICA MCSHELL: Runner Five, you have a gun with you, right? Get it out, stay close. RACHEL: You said you weren’t armed! VERONICA MCSHELL: We lied. RACHEL: No! No, I won’t let you, you can’t have him! VERONICA MCSHELL: Get off me! I don’t care what he used to be. He’s a zombie now, and there’s only one thing to be done with zombies. Come on, Five. I can hear him through the trees. This way, before he escapes. NADIA AL HANAKI: There he is. Can you see him, Five, chained up by the oak tree? RACHEL: I’ll look after you, love! NADIA AL HANAKI: Oh God, she’s stroking his face. His horrible, gray, decaying face. I know “true love conquers all”, but that’s really a step too far. SAM YAO: She’s undoing the chain! RACHEL: This way, love. Come on, just follow me, and it’ll all be alright. VERONICA MCSHELL: You can’t outrun us, he’s too slow. RACHEL: I won’t let you hurt him. VERONICA MCSHELL: We can put him in the calm field with the other zombies. He’s not the problem here, Rachel. RACHEL: I can’t leave him. He’s all I have! I won’t let him go! VERONICA MCSHELL: Five, you’ve got your gun? RACHEL: Danny, come here. SAM YAO: What’s she doing? Oh, tell me it’s not what I think she’s doing. RACHEL: You know what to do, don’t you, love? It’s like eternal life, they said. Go on, then. bites RACHEL NADIA AL HANAKI: She’s going to turn soon. We have to get out of here. VERONICA MCSHELL: We’re okay now. They’re ignoring us. Actually, it’s quite interesting! I’ve never seen what happens if someone goes gray inside of the calming plants. NADIA AL HANAKI: Where do you think they’re going? VERONICA MCSHELL: We’ve got a new zombie grouping starting to form in the southwest fields. They could be headed there. SAM YAO: Uh, Veronica? About earlier. Um, I know I got too excited, but – just, look, I saw how much your dad loved you. More than his research, even, he - before he died, all he wanted was to get that message to you at your camping trip. I’m sorry if you think I tried to tell you about him. He belonged to you, not me. I just wanted you to know he was thinking about you right at the end. VERONICA MCSHELL: I wasn’t camping when the outbreak hit. I left the Guides when I was nine. I used to go to the Natural History Museum when I was supposed to be at Guides. Got to know a few of the researchers. They let me behind the scenes, showed me their new projects. That’s where I was when – I guess it doesn’t matter now. SAM YAO: I am sorry. I still miss him. VERONICA MCSHELL: I want his research notes. I think I can pick up where he left off. And the abandoned base below us, you saw it? SAM YAO: The Comansys research station? Yeah, we saw it. VERONICA MCSHELL: I want to get inside. They were doing research with the plants. Their notes could help with my work here, but the security shutters are down. Someone inside must have triggered a secure lockdown. SAM YAO: Well, that’s great! VERONICA MCSHELL: Why? SAM YAO: Well, it it’s sealed, Comansys can’t have scoured it. We’ve got to get in. VERONICA MCSHELL: You’ve seen how full of zombies it is. Even if you covered yourself in calming plants, the effect wouldn’t ward all of them off. NADIA AL HANAKI: Great! So what do we do? VERONICA MCSHELL: I’ve been experimenting with something that might help us get through. If you help me work on it, I’ll help you get inside. SAM YAO: Deal. VERONICA MCSHELL: Come on, let’s get back to my lab. SAM YAO: Um, should we do something about Rachel and Danny? VERONICA MCSHELL: What would we do? I think they both got what they wanted. Codex Artefact '''String of beads These fell out of Rachel’s pocket. You feel like you’ve seen them somewhere before, but you can’t remember where. Category:Mission Category:Season Three